Milestones…

July 16, 2017

156

…for the US
While your Eyewitness wasn’t invited to the US Embassy’s 241st birthday bash, he did follow the “glass clinking” in the newspapers. Now, love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t ignore the US – at least not in our neck of the woods.
And why should we? If it’s one thing they’ve shown us, it is that nations don’t have permanent enemies or permanent friends, just permanent interests. And that permanent interest is to look out for numero uno!
And boy, do we need to heed that advice right now? With every carpetbagger in the world salivating at our two-billion-barrel oil find, and counting – they’re hoping to get a squeeze by convincing the Government they’re here to “help”. Sure they are – to help themselves to the pot of gold buried under our seabed!
And so we return to the US and all the help their Ambassador reminded us they’ve given us.
A feral blast is about the last thing your Eyewitness wants to deliver to the US on their belated birthday bash, even though he’s ever so slightly miffed he wasn’t invited to the party. Did you see those government minions freeloading in the pics! Boy, were they pigging out!! Your Eyewitness wants to highlight the US showing us fellow ex-British colonies how to become really independent.
Their written constitution – the first in the world – is still a beacon of brevity. That’s a standing indictment on OUR constitutional drafters, who still can’t get it right. Would you believe we’ve introduced more amendments in the 37 years since our Constitution was promulgated than in the 228 years since theirs was ratified? on ?June 21, 1788? And there’s now a group – RISE — that’s risen up to propose new changes!! Some folks think constitutions are like underwear: they must be changed daily!!
The US reminds us that as much depends on the judiciary INTERPRETING the constitution as in the writing of it. Everyone knows that as conditions change, rules may become out of date. But the solution, the US’ experience shows, isn’t to change the rules willy-nilly.
Another thing the US should’ve taught us is: we have a CONTINENTAL destiny. When they became Independent in 1776, the West Indian islands were very important in terms of trade to the US, as well as cultural ties. But the new US didn’t waste time trying to maintain historic links with the West Indies. They struck out on their own, and the rest, as they say, is history.
In the meantime, 241 years later, we’re still futzing around with that abject failure — CariCom. What have they done for us – not even lately?!! Happy birthday USA!!

…for an oil services whale
In case you didn’t notice, Halliburton’s in town. No…not Haley Berry – Halliburton! Who’s that, you ask? Well, just one of the world’s largest oil field service companies, with operations in more than 70 countries, employing approximately 50,000 people.
Halliburton will introduce us to how a real capitalist economy works. First, there’s the corporate nexus with governments that’s forged through “lobbying” or through personal contacts. For instance, after the US invaded Iraq and carpet bombed it to get rid of old Saddam Hussain, they gave a US$39.5 billion contract to KBR – a Halliburton subsidiary that was spun-off. Dick Cheney, an ex-CEO of Halliburton, just happened to be George Bush’s VP.
Then there was the explosion of shale oil production in the US, made possible by exempting fracking – which injects water and polluting chemicals underground to force the oil up – from the US Safe Drinking Water Act.
Why’s it called “the Halliburton Exception”? Well ole VP Dick Cheney sponsored it.

…for VC
The VC insists his coronation – oops, investiture — won’t cost $10 million…but neither he nor his registrar can offer an estimate.
They’re waiting on “empirical information”! It’s budgeting slackness like this that had Griffith fired from his last job!